The Rift Between Worlds
by Ganondora
Summary: In a Hyrule where Ganondorf has not yet faced his final battle with Link, the King of Evil discovers a rift to an alternate version of his own reality, and he is troubled by what he finds.
1. Chapter 1

He stood like a giant on the balcony extending from the throne room. Gray clouds of an oncoming storm surrounded him, made ever more magnificent from the glow of the lava moat below. Ganondorf lifted his right fist into the air and admired the top fraction of the Triforce as it emanated a golden godly light. A moment later he snarled and thrust his fist back to his side. One day, it would all be his.

It had been over seven years since he invaded the Sacred Realm. The only threat to his reign, once locked inside the very realm he corrupted, had returned to haunt him. If only he could have predicted it would happen. The hero was awakening the sages to help in the fight against the tyrant of Hyrule. The last he heard was the Spirit Temple had been infiltrated and the Spirit Sage, Nabooru of all people, awakened to her true destiny. Once, she had served him faithfully, acting as a sorceress almost equal to his power, and in the end it was all a ruse. Nabooru was no more useful than dirt.

While these trifle troubles frustrated him beyond all reason, he grew bored of waiting around for the hero to come. Ganondorf had already mapped out his plan for the future once Link was dead. The Triforce of Power had made the corruption of Hyrule a simple task, but the full power of the goddesses was needed for the entire world to feel his evil. In the meantime, he had renovated the castle with stronger stone walls, sharp spikes that made it impossible to climb, and the dungeon transformed into a chamber for torture to meet his evil desires. Since the completion, Ganondorf split his day between training in swordsmanship and sorcery.

To calm his racing mind and quell his desire to dominate the world, he pivoted toward the doorway on his right and exited the throne room. His intention was to travel three floors down to train, but he was stopped by a Gerudo guard. She bowed at her waist with her legs stiff and greeted, "My lord, I have something to report."

For a moment, Ganondorf was excited to think a scout had spotted the hero's approach. He disguised his anticipation and said irritably, "Do I look like a patient man to you?"

The guard immediately answered, "My deepest apologies. During my patrol I found a strange portal in the Lost Woods. I knew I needed to report it right away and left two keese to guard it until your arrival."

A portal? Ganondorf had already exposed all of Hyrule's secrets, so what could this portal be? Where would it lead to? "Take me there immediately," He ordered, knowing he could not miss the opportunity to discover a new land to conquer.

"Yes, my lord."

Ganondorf turned his back to the carpet covered staircase and followed the guard to the stables where they mounted their steeds. They departed for the woods back entrance to avoid the Kokiri people who returned after Link defeated the monsters in the forest. The chill In the shadows of the woods had Ganondorf reaching for his cloak before they brought their horses to a halt. The keese squawked noisily at it as if it would attack at any moment. When Ganondorf saw it his eyes fill with excitement.

What the Gerudo called a portal was a narrow tear in the environment surrounded by a glowing green magic and whatever lay beyond was obscured. Ganondorf wisely informed his guard, "This is a dimensional rift and through it lies another Hyrule."

"You mean there's another world through there?" The guard asked.

Ganondorf looked at her with a sneer. Was it really possible that he was born of the same race, but with an intelligence that doubled theirs collectively? "Yes. That's precisely what a dimensional rift is." It was more than she could comprehend that if he could successfully pass through the rift he opened the gates to a brand new world to dominate and bend to his will. His army would grow and he could fight off the hero and sages with ease. First, he had to make sure it was safe. "Who will be my first volunteer?" The keese flitted around above him, protesting in squeals. "No. You," Ganondorf pointed at the guard. "Step through the portal and return immediately to report what you see."

The guard thought better of protesting. She took a minute to prepare herself while receiving glares of anger from her king. To test it, she shoved her hand through the portal and instantly pulled it back to find it was still safely attached. In the next moment when she hesitated Ganondorf roughly gripped her arm and shoved her through the portal, until she disappeared to the other side.

Upon her return a few minutes later she checked to make sure all of her body parts were still attached. There was death in Ganondorf's eyes when she looked at him again and realized she had kept him waiting. "The sky was filled with shimmering lights like ours at night," She reported. "It was the woods, just like we have here. I did not see any people. And it was warm. I could see a castle like yours in the distance."

Satisfied, Ganondorf declared, "I will invade this new land and make it bow to me, the King of Evil!" Then, to the Gerudo he ordered, "Ready twenty soldiers to depart immediately and I want one hundred on standby. I will send a messenger when I am ready."

"Yes, my lord." She bowed respectfully and then hurried to fulfill his request.

An hour later his soldiers were with him, rallying for a fight. "We may find there is no life through the dimensional rift but we should prepare to begin a war! No matter what you do, you still do it in my name!" Ganondorf turned from their excited shouts and faced the rift. He placed his hands on the opening and with all his might tore it farther and wider so his seven foot mass could easily fit inside. He and his army passed through with the reins of their horses in hand.


	2. Chapter 2

The air was warm that summer night. The stars shimmered like diamonds against the black night sky. She walked onto her balcony from the master bedroom and wrapped her arms around herself. It was one of those nights that made her long for a man to be with her. She could have had any man she wanted, but they were all weak, foolish, and unimportant. None of them were like _he_ had been. Although he never said he felt the same way, in her mind she knew he did. He just never had the opportunity to tell her.

She was there the dreadful night when the Hero of Time struck him down and the nightmares of her failure haunted her ever since. For vengeance, she took control of the King of Evil's army and put the full force of it against the hero's home. Everyone in the Mysterious Woods, then called the Kokiri Forest, was eliminated. The hero was no more and she became the Queen of Hyrule.

Her room was the highest in the tower that protruded from the castle's fortified base far below. The breeze was intensified at her height and she loved the way it lifted her waist long red hair from her back and sent chills down her arms. It was a feeling she enjoyed no matter how often it happened.

The moment of peace was interrupted by a knock on her door. It was late and most of her servants were sleeping. When the voice of her personal servant called for her she tightened the thin lace robe around her naked body and opened the door just a crack. "Why aren't you asleep?" She asked irritably.

"My apologies, my lady. One of your scouts returned with an urgent message," The attendant explained.

"What message could be so urgent that it could not wait until morning?" The queen snapped, but she held on to a flicker of hope that it might be a challenger, or a man that could woo her. It had been over five years since she defeated the hero, and other warlords, kings, and queens fell violently at her hand shortly after.

The servant turned from the door and looked away, probably to the scout. When she turned back she said, "It comes from the Mysterious Woods. Some type of rip in the realm. While he watched it a woman appeared from it, completely unharmed, and then went back through."

The queen opened the door farther and looked at the scout while concealing the rest of her body behind the door. "What did she look like?"

He answered curtly, "Dark-skinned, red hair, very Gerudo-like. She looked frightened, most likely not warrior trained."

"Do you think there is a threat?"

"There is too little information to come to an accurate conclusion, my lady."

She never backed down from a fight though. "I couldn't sleep anyway. Let's check it out to be sure. I could use some excitement. Fetch twenty soldiers and meet me in the stables." She closed the door to prepare herself. It was not heavy armor she donned, but greaves, shoulders, and leg bracers, with her usual red Gerudo uniform that signified her leadership. Her armor looked like gold but it was fused with steel so she was well protected. She armed herself with her sword, curved to a pointed tip. The sheath she tied tightly to her waist with a black leather strap was red and gold. After a few swings she placed the weapon in its home. Finally, she wrapped the black cloak around her. The creation of the gold insignia brought warm memories rushing back to her. The King of Evil had been obsessed with the power of the goddesses and in the end he died before he could claim it. In his memory, she decreed Hyrule's emblem would be forever changed to the Triforce with the Triforce of Power larger than the others and balancing on top of them. She closed her eyes but not before shedding a single tear of grief. Her thoughts of him occupied her down the many flights of stairs to the ground floor. When she entered the stables, her grief was gone and replaced by determination. "Let's go!" She shouted at her soldiers and then followed the scout to the Mysterious Woods.

Upon arrival, the queen found a group of soldiers entering her world through the green portal, wide open like the mouth of a monster. They were led by a man with his features shrouded by a red hooded-cloak. He was a large man and rode an equally large black stallion. She felt something familiar about him, but it could have been the twenty soldiers he brought with him that looked exactly like her own. Being a dimensional rift there were bound to be some similarities, but what condition was their world in? What was the man's intentions?

The sound of her sword sliding smoothly from its sheath was music to her ears, as it had been a long time since she used it for anything but practice. If his intentions were as evil as his presence, then she would be spilling blood. "Who dares intrude on _my_ world?" She challenged.

Ganondorf passed through the cool aura of the rift and on the other side he found himself outside a forest, recognizable as the Kokiri Forest. Was it really still Hyrule, just a little different? Across a gap, on a hill about a hundred feet away, a beautiful woman set atop a brown horse. Ganondorf narrowed his eyes then and gripped the reins of his horse, until his knuckles changed color. Could it really be? Nabooru, leading _his_ army? Dog-faced moblins, skeleton warriors, keese, and even the women of his race were staring back at him. He was intrigued by these turn of events. Was there still a princess and a hero? He questioned Nabooru's role in this Hyrule. "I would speak with the leader of this realm!" He called back to her.

The queen moved her horse ahead of the group and glared. "I am leader here. Speak your purpose or my forces will decimate you and your weak army!" Her voice reflected her authority and power.

The man cackled. "You? You are the ruler here? Before I destroy your pitiful militia, tell me the name of this world that I will call mine, and I might as well know the name of the leader I will mercilessly wrench control from."

The laugh sent chills jolting down her spine. She continued her bravado, but her core was shaken. "Ha! I will tell you so that you may know the name of the woman who brought your demise. You are in _my _Hyrule and my name is Ganondora. Bow before me or face your death!"

Ganondorf was not amused any longer. It had to be a joke. This woman looked and sounded the same as Nabooru, but there were many differences, including the fact that she was the Queen of Hyrule. He managed another laugh, but much more demonic than before. He would not allow some silly girl to stand in his way of dominating this new land. "My name is Ganondorf, and this is now _my_ Hyrule." He raised his hand in the air and his dark energy sword appeared in his fist. He threw his head back and the hood of the cloak fell. "Attack!" He ordered, loud and clear. His forces lunged forward viciously to victory.

Ganondora's entire body was frozen with shock. How could she not have guessed this? Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined seeing him again. She had to remind herself though that it was not the same man she lost. His face was exactly as she remembered it, from his eyes, to his hair, to his cheeks and chin. She snapped back to reality as her enemies charged and shouted an order. "Don't stand there like idiots! Attack! Defend your land and your lady!" Ganondora sheathed her weapon and placed her hands in front of her with her palms together. A purple aura emanated from her and she enveloped her warriors with her energy. She did not take control of them, instead they fed off of her power. Their attacks were driven with twice as much force and their speed doubled. It seemed to only even the odds.

For ten minutes the battle raged on. Ganondorf sat atop his horse and watched the battle. The power level of his army's opponents spiked as the woman who called herself Ganondora continued her incantation. This ability was similar to what Nabooru could do, but Ganondora was much more powerful. He found himself amazed that wounds were healed as quickly as they were delivered. His awe was brief since at the moment her incredible abilities hindered his success.

The eyes she held on him were somewhere between focused and confused. In one of the moments she looked away, he raised his hand to the sky and called upon his dark powers. He fired a jolt of energy at her but it met with a force field. He dug deeper for more power and the shield that protected her dispelled.

Ganondora screamed when the dark energy struck her and began eating away at her flesh and soul. It kept coming as a constant and steady stream until finally she was able to fight through the pain and rip on the reins of her horse. She jerked to the side and out of the way but three of her soldiers died in the time it took to dodge. "Retreat!" Ganondora shouted over the metal on metal battleground sound effects. Her warriors were confused. They had never heard this command from her before so she was forced to repeat it. They withdrew suddenly and ran like rats. She turned her horse and ran ahead of them. It severely damaged her pride to turn tail and run, but her power was no match for his. What if the full power of the Triforce supported him? She needed to know more before she could win.

Ganondorf chuckled as she gave the order to retreat, like the coward he knew she was. His laughter was cut short as his eye caught the symbol on her back. It was the Triforce, like his, but the Triforce of Power was most prominent. Had he misjudged her alliance? Why was she in charge? What if she was secretly loyal to the Hylian royal family? Did he exist in this world in the same way? What about Link? Ganondorf realized he needed to know more about his enemy and her world before he could make the final move. The best way to retrieve information was to go directly to the source. He turned to the servant beside him and ordered her to return to their realm to bring one-hundred more soldiers, a fraction of his entire army.

Ganondora arrived hastily at the stables outside her castle. As soon as she dismounted her horse, the Gerudo women were at her throat.

"What is the meaning of this?" They shouted. "He's alive! He'll kill us if he knows we've been serving you and not waiting for his return."

Ganondora snatched the arm of the Gerudo closest to her and twisted it until it was nearly broken. The thought that Ganondorf was alive was sensational but he had no idea who she was or how deep her devotion ran. While holding the one in submission, she yelled at all of her Gerudo. "Do not threaten me! He is not the same man that I loved and that we served. He has his own loyal soldiers from his own realm! If you can't learn to accept that our Ganondorf is gone then I will send you to the grave with him!" The women cowered from her. "This is my Hyrule now and I will defend it as such. Until we know more about this Ganondorf and his past we are not to underestimate him. Keep alert!" Huffing, she turned from her warriors and hurried to the castle. Fortunately, it was still a few hours before dawn so she crawled into bed to catch up on some sleep.

Once Ganondorf's reinforcements arrived, consisting of Gerudo and minions, they set up a temporary base made out of tents. It took only two hours to complete and only then did Ganondorf decide to make his next carefully calculated move. As he emerged from the forest he recognized Hyrule fields with tall thriving grass and he could see the kingdom and market of Hyrule in the distance. He hoped his adversary had been able to rest peacefully. She would need it for the interrogation.


	3. Chapter 3

Ganondora's dreams came as violent realities of her fears. Ganondorf decimated her armies and compared to him, her powers were a child's toy. She was forced to choose between death or forfeiting control of Hyrule to him. To do that meant she might still lose him when she had just been given a new opportunity to win his affection.

When she woke it felt as though her sleep had lasted for many hours but her mind was as weary as when she laid down. Quickly, she donned her armor again and rushed out of her room. Just as she made it to the last step at the bottom of the spiral staircase one of the minion beasts from the field approached her. "My lady, Ganondorf is approaching. Has he been revived?" The beast spoke with hope.

Ganondora did not answer, but instead she warned, "Do not fear him but be prepared for hostility. Tell the archers and bombers to be ready to strike on my signal." As she made her way to the exit, her attendant begged her not to go. Ganondora looked at the woman and said somberly, "Organize my army, Erika. Once I am captured, attack their forces in the forest. Pass through the rift and attack the kingdom. I will assist from my prison as best as I can. His world will be mine." Erika nodded, reassured that her mistress knew what she was doing. After a moment, Ganondora added, "Do not kill him."

"Be safe, my lady," Erika said.

Ganondora nodded and walked outside, her hand fidgeting nervously with the hilt of her trusted sword. They had seen a lot together, but they were about to face the biggest challenge: Fight or submit? Her stubborn nature would not allow submission to come easily.

Ganondorf approached the castle town quickly on foot. There was no need for a horse since he was intimidating enough without it. He quite enjoyed the scenery on his way in and got a good sense that not much was different between the two realms. The kingdom's protective wall was enhanced with archer holes and catapults, both of which were currently in use. It was a sign that Ganondora was not as foolish as he originally made her out to be. She approached him with a confident, almost arrogant, stride. Her cloak billowed behind her majestically and her long hair was braided against her back. He found these minor details mesmerizing about her.

They came to a stop about three meters away from each other with their powers pressing like two invisible bubbles that could pop at any moment from the pressure.

Slowly, as to not be misunderstood, Ganondorf asked, "What happened to me in this realm? What of the Triforce?"

Ganondora clenched her fist. The vision of his death had never stopped playing in her nightmares. It made it difficult to stand against him. She stared him straight in the eyes and said defiantly, "You do not need to know that. You need to leave and go back to your own world." The words coming from her mouth were like a knife she plunged into herself. Keeping the truth from him felt disobedient, even after all those years. It was the only way she knew to keep him safe.

"You will tell me what has happened here and then you will surrender Hyrule to me, _or else_," He threatened. "I am the King of Evil and none are more powerful than I."

Ganondora did not shudder and she did not look away from him. Like always, Ganondorf wanted more. More control, more power, and more enemies. With more enemies came more death threats. "You will not have my Hyrule!" She yelled and brandished her weapon.

Suddenly, a purple orb appeared around Ganondora and she was frozen before she could charge him. When she tried to move her bones threatened to break. She never saw Ganondorf make a move to cast a spell.

"Damn you!" She snarled. Before anything else was said he made her disappear.

Arrows rained down on Ganondorf and his scouts, but he cast a barrier that protected them. "Stay and alert me at the first sign of an invasion," He ordered, then turned to go back to camp.

The moment Ganondora appeared the skeleton warriors pointed spikes and swords at her. "Put your weapons down!" She ordered, with no results because they could not hear her. The bubble was more like a stone prison that kept her limbs immobilized so that she was not a threat to even herself. She could see the camp they had set up and was surprised to see such a great force was already organized as if they could march on her castle at any moment. Her imagination went wild with what could possibly be in store for her and her kingdom.

When Ganondorf finally arrived he walked to the back of the camp near the dimensional rift where Ganondora awaited him. There was a wild and angry animal in her eyes that was pleasing to him. How much would it take to make her scream for mercy? "Because you will not provide the information I desire willingly, I will break you until you reveal even your deepest and darkest secrets." Excited, Ganondorf moved her toward the rift and then faced her again. "I am going to release you and you will not struggle." The look she gave mocked him and then she laughed. In response, he said, "Only a fool would try to run with a hundred of my soldiers waiting to rip you apart. You are alive because I deem it so and I could just as easily kill you. Cooperate, or die," He said, calm but arrogant.

At the suddenly complacent look on Ganondora's face, he snapped his fingers and the barrier disappeared. When she landed on her hands and knees two soldiers quickly grabbed her arms and ripped the weapon from her hand. She struggled viciously, punching and yelling, as they bound her hands tightly behind her back with shackles. Ganondorf had to admit that her fighting spirit was quite arousing. He could not wait to break it. Her weapon was handed to him along with the end of a chain connected to her shackles. Ganondora's muscles tightened with anger at being handled like an animal. "Is this any way to treat the Queen of Hyrule? You'll never get your answers with this kind of treatment," She hissed.

He ignored her and stepped through the rift. For her defiance, he yanked her through it so hard she fell on her knees on the other side. Look up, she saw the storm clouds rolling in every direction. Lightning flashed from one cloud to the next. The field was barren and the walls protecting the village were taller than in her realm. Little moblins patrolled the wall, carrying swords, bombs, and arrows. To add to her already terrible situation, it began to rain.

While Ganondorf led her to the castle she occupied herself with trying, obnoxiously, to maneuver her hood onto her head for protection from the pouring rain. Each time she thought she finally had it he would tug just enough to jerk her and make it fall down again. Ganondora growled.

The castle was breath taking. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead as they crossed the invisible bridge over the lava moat. It was bigger and darker than she remembered, and reeked of evil. It was not near as magnificent as hers, she thought. They entered into a great room lit sparsely by chandeliers along the ceiling. There were stairs to the right and left, but hidden to the side of the main door was a set of crumbling steps leading into a dark basement.

"Take her to the dungeon and make sure she is provided the highest quality hospitality we have to offer," Ganondorf said with a smirk. As he handed the chain to a large moblin, almost as tall as him, Ganondora made an attempt to run. Before she even took three steps, Ganondorf snatched the leash and yanked her roughly back to him. The excess chain magically snaked around her legs, up her torso, and around her arms. The moblin lifted her over his shoulder and carrier her into the dungeon. She squirmed the entire way.

The moblin's only purpose was to unravel the chain from around her and shackle her to the wall inside a cell. Her restraints provided her with half of a foot of reach, enough to move but not enough to fight back. The only light provided were two lit torches on either side of her cell which caused eerie shadows to dance all around her. Her eyes were immediately attached to the torture devices hanging on the wall beside her cell. Ganondora struggled against the chains but it was securely fastened to the rock wall. She would need to escape quickly and it looked like the locks could easily be picked. Ganondorf was descending the stairs though, not allowing her time to even get comfortable in her chains. She tried to hold on to the contempt, tried to keep the mission in mind, but as he moved close to her to remove her armor, she lost sight of her goal. The power that emanated from him weakened even her soul.

Ganondorf set her weapon on a table at the base of the stairs. He approached her and leaned forward to remove the cloak from her back. Secondly, he unclasped her shoulder guards and the rest of the armor to leave her completely vulnerable. Her modified Gerudo uniform covered a bit more torso, but the top come to a point at her navel, where the pants were the same. Their skin was identical, her hair slightly more red, and her eyes were an incredible yellow with a ferocity that Ganondorf had never seen in Nabooru. He turned from Ganondora to grab the whip from the wall. A dark aura shined from it as he unraveled it. "Speak," He demanded and cracked the whip in the air.

Ganondora never flinched. Her mind screamed her healing spell, reaching deep down to her dark energy and bringing it to the surface to protect her from any damage. "I have nothing to say to you," She answered through gritted teeth, prepared for the pain.

He snapped the whip in her direction, but it stopped short of her leg. It was fear that made Ganondorf lash out but curiosity that made him resist. Did he even dare think it? Could a world exist where he had failed? Impossible! Or had she the strength to kill him to control Hyrule? Something deep inside told him there was more going on than he could possibly imagine. "Let's start simple, shall we? What part did you play?" This time when he whipped he, he did not hold back.

Ganondora gritted her teeth and fought off a cry of pain for a grunt instead. "I will not speak, no matter what you do to me." _I must, to protect you, _she thought. The mark the whip left in her skin healed over and the pain disappeared in seconds.

Ganondorf was not afraid to show his interest in her abilities now. "Where did you learn your power? Answer me!" He shouted and whipped her again to watch her heal.

She closed her eyes and that time the strike of the whip was little more than a pinch. Still, she said nothing. The more he pressed her, the more infuriated she became. He had no idea all she had done to protect him in the other realm and how she hated herself for her failure to save him. There was no need for him to understand for it would not benefit her.

He lashed out and gripped her neck. Her eyes popped open and for a brief second they stared into each other's soul. Everything about him was the same to Ganondora. To him, nothing was familiar beyond her appearance, but he saw unmatched passion. He squeezed her throat, almost restricting her esophagus. As he used his energy to suppress hers, she struggled more at the force of his hand clenched around her neck. He slapped her with the full back side of his hand and cut her cheek with the detail on his armor. Her lip bled, her ear rang a sour tone, and she whimpered pitifully.

"I will ensure that you feel every drop of blood you bleed and every cut I inflict upon you, wench!" Ganondorf shouted. He put his massive hands on her head and she felt her powers being drained, as if he sucked them right through his fingertips. Ganondora struggled internally to fight against him and draw her abilities back, but it was useless. The instant her energy was drained he shocked her with a jolt of dark magic with his hand right against her chest. The force of it knocked her against the wall and her chains rattled as she momentarily lost her balance.

Even without her special ability, her spirit still survived. "It makes no difference. Pain or not, you will learn nothing from me!"


	4. Chapter 4

Ganondorf tortured his rival for an hour, using devices like burning coals, poison, and potions. Her screams were satisfying for a while, until he realized that nothing he did, short of killing her, would force her to speak. His anger brought him close to doing just that. Knowing that it was pointless was the only thought that stopped him. While imprisoned, her army would focus on nothing but rescuing her, making them sloppy. If dead, they would focus on avenging her and taking his kingdom, making them unpredictable. After exhausting all of his patience, he dragged Ganondora's weak body by her hair to the cell and shoved her up against the wall. He lifted her from the floor by her neck. She was burnt raw on her back, lacerations on her legs from the whip bled, and her eyes struggled to focus from the drugs he injected in her body. "You are the most stubborn woman that I have ever met. Have no doubts that I will break you. Prepare yourself. I want you refreshed for when I return and I will hold nothing back!" He dropped her and the full weight of her body was forced on her wrists in the shackles. A skeleton warrior entered the dungeon and saluted him. "What is it now?" He snapped.

"My lord, enemy forces are attacking our walls. What is your command?" The warrior asked.

But Ganondorf was not worried about the enemy at his walls because it was his enemy within that had led them there. She managed a smirk before he slapped her again. How could he have been deceived so easily? He turned back to his warrior and they exited the basement.

With him gone, Ganondora felt her power return. Slowly, she began the painful process of healing her body. After several minutes, it felt like a warm wave of water rushed over her and when it receded so did the pain. It was dangerous to close her eyes, so she leaned against the damp wall that soothed the raw skin on her back and stared at the light coming in from the door at the top of the stairs. Her army needed her, so she turned most of her energy to them and focused on their life forces. She hoped her energy waves could permeate the ground and the walls of the castle to reach her army and support them.

The battle suddenly turned, like some unseen force rejuvenated the enemy. Swords practically bounced off their skin, arrows could not penetrate, and in no time they were over and through the wall by any means necessary.

Ganondorf was on the frontline as soon as he could make it, but it was not soon enough. The enemy rampaged through the market, where very few people still resided, meaning they were one step close to his castle. Ganondorf flung orbs of dark energy at the soldiers as they came at him in waves. He blast a burst of energy from his core, knocking all of the foes surrounding him back a hundred feet. They stood right back up and charged again.

He realized they swung to wound and not to kill. A dark energy sword appeared in his hand and he attacked viciously. The raw energy easily cut down his opponents. Suddenly, he was a one man army against a thousand minions.

With his help, Ganondorf's army slowly gained ground. The enemy was forced, step by painful step, back to the field. He slaughtered them one-by-one, tirelessly. He knew the enemy well enough that it was more like target practice. As if from nowhere, keese flew over head, dropping lit bombs near him. He lunged out of the way but was still buffeted by shrapnel.

The explosion triggered an epiphany. As Ganondorf stood back up he wondered why they would attack him when it endangered their allies. That was when he noticed that all the enemies wounded in the blast were already healed, or took no damage at all. It was impossible though. Could Ganondora's powers really be so magnificent to be assisting them from her cell? He fought his way through the mass of fallen bodies and swinging weapons. He suffered several wounds on his legs that made running too difficult. Using a high pitched whistle, he summoned his horse. It sped to him faithfully from the stables and he mounted it with difficulty.

Ganondora grasped her slim opportunity. After struggling to reach the pin in her hair and slide it in the lock, the shackle popped open easily. After unlocking the rest of her chains and the cell door, she grabbed her armor and sword and ran from the dungeon to fight her way to the throne room.

How would she know which way to go? The lay out was slightly different from her own, but was similar to how it had been before she renovated. There was little resistance as most of the soldiers were fighting a battle that was merely a distraction. She came across two guards that were easily dispatched. She knocked mini moblins down with a kick to the torso and tore the weapon from their hands. The two armored skeleton warriors guarding the throne room gave her the most trouble.

They were an intimidating half a foot taller than her and menacing with their glowing yellow eyes inside empty skulls. They alternated their attacks at her, making her efforts to dodge tiresome. Her size turned out to be an advantage as she was able to quickly sneak passed them and slash the weak point on the back of their armor. The straps broke, allowing the armor to clang noisily to the floor and fully expose their skeleton. They retaliated violently, slashing wildly at her. Ganondora ran inside the throne room and slammed the door back at them. They were knocked back by the door for only moments and then continued in to chase her down. She ran to the wall, up it, and lunged backward to her feet again. Before the guards could turn around, she smashed her sword through their spines and they collapsed to the ground as a pile of bones.

Ganondorf arrived at the front of his castle and entered it as quickly as possible. He turned to the right and descended into the dungeon. An animalistic roar erupted from deep inside, sparked by his rage upon finding that his prisoner had escaped. There was no doubt in his mind where he would find her.

There were two Gerudo guards unconscious on the way, as well as mini moblins with their heads split wide open. The two stalfos he appointed and personally trained to guard his throne were missing from the door way and the big red wooden doors were wide open. He walked casually to the door to disguise his limp. He bled from his sword wounds and where the shrapnel had pierced him. When he turned into the throne room he found her resting across _his_ throne, not a single bloodstain left on her and completely lucid.

Ganondora smiled deviously when he walked through the door. "I see my army has really taken a toll you."

"What is the meaning of this?" He shouted and stepped forward. Each step became easier to take, and he couldn't tell if it was from adrenaline or anger.

"I'm taking over Hyrule. I'm keeping you safe," She explained.

"You are a fool. This is my Hyrule!" He found it easier to raise his wounded arm, and shot a spark of dark energy at her. It bounced off of a force field he had not seen. He raised his other arm and fired off a bigger sphere of energy that not only pierced her shield but knocked over his throne with her in it. She screamed, but stood up in seconds. "I am going to kill you!" He yelled.

"I may not have the Master Sword, but I am still able to beat you!" She shouted back, and waved her hands in front of her. First her left, then right, and then left again. Waves of dark energy rolled in his direction. He braced himself but the impact only caused him to stumble. The power he felt radiating from her should have knocked him over in such a weakened state. What was going on?

"Master Sword? Your time is not that different from mine. Tell me, now, what of Link?" He asked, slightly calmer, to gain information.

Ganondora drew her sword and said, "I killed him."

Ganondorf laughed cruelly. It echoed around the empty room and stuck her like a rusty knife. "That's impossible."

"You did it, didn't you? That's why you have the full Triforce, isn't it? Did you seal him in the sacred realm like you had planned the entire time?" She asked in her cocky tone.

"Why did you heal me?" He asked, avoiding her insulting questions. He waved his hand to make his dark energy sword appear. He needed to know who she was because something made him feel that she had been important to his other self in her realm.

"Because when I beat you, I want to know I didn't have any help," She admitted.

So she would not deny it. "Then let me show you just how foolish you are."

They ran at each other and their swords met with a clash and blinding light. Normally, his sword would have cut through hers, but she concentrated her energy into her weapon, making it possible to repel his magic. They thrust forward and used the momentum to jump back from each other and land on their feet. He fired dark energy at her and she swung her sword to bounce it back at him. It was only a distraction though as he then came at her from the other side. He continued this pattern relentlessly back and forth to wear her down.

He swung at her from the side and she brought up her arm so that it was blocked by her bracer. It was too late when she noticed his hand come around and snatch her main hand. He twisted her arm around to the point of breaking, leading her to spin with him to relieve the pressure. With her back to him, he shoved the sword through her and out her stomach.

Ganondora gasped suddenly as the world stopped. Instinctively, she tried to heal the wound but the sword remained inside of her, emanating a corrupt aura that hindered her abilities. The pain was paralyzing and the wound burned.

Ganondorf leaned over, with his sword through her back to its hilt, and hissed, "Now, your Hyrule, is _mine_." He slid his hand down her arm, evading sensual thoughts of her soft skin, and removed her weapon from her limp fingers. He chucked it across the room then put his hand around her slender throat. "I will end your life quickly if you manage to tell me everything I want to know before you die." She was quiet for too long, so he added, "Or I could drain your powers and watch you slowly bleed to death on the floor."

She visibly swallowed and stared fearfully into his eyes. Even in her realm, where he had trusted her more than anyone else, she had never been this close to him. His smell was intoxicating and his hands comfortingly worn by battle. It made her momentarily regret starting this deceptive plan to begin with, the plan that got her in this situation just to realize she would be losing him all over again. No matter what, she had to tell him now. Even if he still killed her, at the very least she could die with the burden of failure lifted from her shoulders. She rested her hands around the exit wound in her stomach, hoping to slow its corruption. "You wanted to know what happened to you? And to Link and Zelda?"

Her voice was weak and fragile. Ganondorf smirked. Finally, she was defeated. "Yes. Tell me everything."

"After Ganondorf obtained the Triforce of power he created an army of minions. I used my attack enhancing and healing abilities to make them strong. Even as you think now he knew it was a great asset. We won several battles, until the final one, the one that mattered. The stupid boy and his idiotic princess. I was there when it happened. The castle collapsed, that's why it looks so different. They fled as far as the market before I stopped them. Then, he showed up, as Ganon. I took on Zelda in a battle between light and dark, but I failed. Zelda's death was within my grasp when Link struck me with the Master Sword." Ganondora took a minute to breathe. Her sentences were disconnected and speaking became more difficult, but she forced herself to continue. "One cut from that blade was like death itself. I cannot fathom how he lasted against it for so long. Then, Zelda zapped the rest of my energy and they turned to you. I tried to reach out to you, to boost your magic so you could fight, but I wasn't strong enough." Even with as little energy as she had left, tears fell freely from her eyes. The memory and the pain was as real as if it played again right in front of her. The corruption of the energy sword spread through her torso. Her veins pulsed with dark purple energy. It hurt, and at the same time it felt like nothing as it slowly consumed her life force. "They took your body and banished you to the Sacred Realm."

Angrily, Ganondorf asked, "If you were trying to protect me, then why are you still alive? You should have died for me!" It explained everything: her insignia, her selfish desires, her tenacity to protect him. He had felt the void in that realm left behind because the Triforce was sealed away again, but he never would have imagined why. He never considered failure an option, never imagined losing to Link. It shocked and angered him to know that he had, even if it had not actually been him. Ganondorf had to wonder if he could still lose. Was she the key to winning?

Ganondora continued more weakly than before. "I took the remaining minions that were loyal to him and retreated. When I was stronger, I extracted revenge and took over Hyrule in his name, waiting for his return, even though I knew it would never come," She said, her voice filled with sorrow. "When you came into my life, I needed to do everything within my power to keep you alive, even if it meant defeating you and breaking you from wanting to conquer the world. I refused to lose you a second time. I'm so sorry."


	5. Chapter 5

Ganondorf was, for once, without a remark. In his time he never had such a loyal minion. Most of them were loyal out of fear but she did it because she wanted to. She was to be commended and yet she was dying at the end of his blade. "I am stronger and wiser than the man you served. I will kill Link and Zelda and have my wish made for ultimate power."

"I know," Ganondora whispered and struggled against closing her eyes. "I have a compromise."

"Speak quickly."

"Please, allow me to work with you," She said with hope.

"You're not quite so intimidating when you are weak and dying," He mocked.

"Ganondorf, I can serve you faithfully, I swear it. You need me. I need you," She pleaded, wasting her precious energy. It was useless if he would not let her serve him.

He was curious and somewhat beside himself at the sound of his name coming from her lips. What did she mean? Was this some trick? Did it matter? If she betrayed him, he could beat her again and kill her. There were a lot of advantages to a union with her though. With the power of the Triforce he could greatly increase her magic strength. Before he agreed, he decided to lay down one condition first. "I want Hyrule. Only I am powerful enough to deserve it."

He watched with a malicious grin as she struggled over her pride. Somehow, he understood the difficult decision between power or life. He also knew that, for her, the answer was simple. "Fine," She finally agreed.

Satisfied, he asked, "Can you heal yourself, Ganondora?" He braced her with a hand on her waist.

The sound of her name in his dominant tone sprouted a new energy in her and his touch revitalized her. She nodded. "Slowly," She cautioned, as if reading his thoughts. He drew the weapon back and watched the corruption retreat from her body. She began returning to her normal color. Once the weapon was fully removed, she dropped to her knees with her hand over the wound. It bled for several dangerous minutes before she was able to heal it completely. When it was over, she breathed heavily and hoped to never be that close to death again.

Ganondorf was surprised to find that he was relieved she was well. This feeling frightened him, and so he ordered with authority returning to his tone, "Call off your army."

She stood up, one foot at a time. He stared down at her and made her feel small and insignificant. Only he had ever been able to make her feel that way. It was time to retrain herself to obey, instead of lead. "Tell me something." After a silent moment, she added, "Please."

"What?" He asked impatiently.

"You haven't collected the remaining pieces of the Triforce. I will gladly devote all of my power to help you do this, but please tell me if you know of me in your realm. Tell me my part in your plan."

"You assume correctly. Link has awakened the last sage and I await his final attack," Ganondorf explained. "There was one like you, yes. Strong, but not quite so powerful in sorcery as you. She was worthy of leading my armies, but now she is the Spirit sage and works against me!" He clenched his fist and shook it threateningly in her face. "Will you do the same?"

Cautiously, she slid her slender fingers over his knuckles and enclosed a part of his fist in her hand. "I will take her life for you, my lord. I will break into any realm or any temple, wherever I must go, to eliminate the traitor. I shared a similar destiny as her, but I would never betray you." Ganondora decided not to push her luck with any further questions. "I will gladly call off my army for you."

The battle had not yet been decided when they arrived in the field again. The soldiers, seeing their leader's neutrality, ceased their attacks. The truce was explained, and Ganondora sent half of her remaining army home and kept the rest to defend the castle. As her minions dispatched, she healed what was left of Ganondorf's arm and refueled their energy.

He commanded his soldiers to return home or to their assigned duties. This battle had exhausted much energy, but hopefully they still had some time before Link showed up for their final battle. What was he going to do with Ganondora though? Had he tamed her? Was she only acting this way as some kind of game? Was her ultimate goal really to keep him alive? If he trusted her enough to allow her into the castle he could be walking into a trap, and it was obvious no cell could hold her for long. The deathly honest look in her eyes when she promised to assassinate Nabooru could not have been faked. As his soldiers passed him, he noticed their wounds healed and not a single minion appeared weary or worn. He had been so lost in thought he never noticed Ganondora exerting such a large amount of energy, especially for one who had narrowly escaped death. She certainly was putting on a fine show. When the final soldier left the field, and only the dead remained, he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder to break her concentration.

Ganondora flinched and was paralyzed with fear. When she realized there was no danger, she turned to see the hand on her shoulder belonged to an arm that led to him. "Yes, my lord?" She asked.

He moved his hand away and beckoned her to follow him to the castle. "It is necessary for you to remain in the castle for now. You have proven to be a very capable healer, but I must test your ability in battle."

"I understand," She said, agreeing. Slipping into a servant mentality was easier than she thought it would be, especially when she allowed herself to enjoy the powerful aura that excreted from his every pore. Simply walking beside him was intoxicating.

He led her to the practice room within the castle. From the inside wall lined with a variety of weapons, Ganondorf hoisted his favorite great sword onto his shoulder and turned to her. "Attack me."

"You don't mean that," She said, shocked.

"Do not question me," He said, holding his weapon out to the side. "Attack me without the aid of your power," He ordered again, more impatiently.

She did as he instructed, with no special boosts or powers, she brandished her weapon and swung fiercely at him, meeting with his blade.

He was disappointed to find that she held back. "What happened to your anger? Pretend like you want to kill me!"

There was such rage inside of her that such a request was easy for her to comply with. Within minutes, she successfully avoided his defenses and struck at his back side with more force than she intended. His leather armor prevented the wound from being very deep, but even a thin slice from a sword could sting. Immediately, she healed it back up.

He was impressed by her speed, her ruthlessness, and again her ability to heal within seconds. The cut took him by surprise, but as quickly as the pain had appeared it was gone.

"Very good. Now, with your enhancement on both of us, we will battle again."

At his command, Ganondora emanated her powers in waves around them, concentrating on their life forces. Her energy provided them with boosts in strength, speed, and even the effectiveness of their weapons and armor.

He could feel the sensation immediately, like an inferno erupting from his core and burning forth. It surged through his nerves like lightening. His muscles relaxed but he felt stronger. He lashed out at her and she dodged with surprising speed, twice as fast as before. She returned the attack swiftly and moved like a blur.

She had somehow predicted his first attack. Whether it was because she knew him well or it was some sort of side effect of her powers, she could not be sure. She purposefully waited until the last second and moved over just far enough for the sword to breeze by her arm. Then she retaliated with a quickness that surprised even her.

His weapon moved to parry like it was merely an extension of his own arm. They sparred until Ganondorf realized they were so evenly matched that they would wear out before landing an attack on each other. "Enough!" He ordered.

Ganondora abruptly complied and sheathed her weapon. Her boosted powers receded and she returned to normal.

He immediately felt the difference when the enhancement died away. He felt a bit sore too, as if he had over extended his muscle. That feeling also disappeared, most likely a result of her healing ability. Satisfied, he returned his weapon to the rack and turned to exit the room.

She stood and waited for some type of praise or, even more likely, criticism. As he was about to leave, she asked impatiently, "Did I pass?"

He turned back to her suddenly just at the doorway. He looked at her and the first name in his head was Nabooru. He consciously reminded himself that she was not the same. He remembered Ganondora was loyal to him like no one ever before and she did deserve something for that. "If you were not worthy I would have killed you," He explained, his tone cold.

That was sort of uplifting to hear. She bowed and said, "Thank you."

It took several days for their forces to split evenly and Ganondora handled most of it, keeping in mind his castle needed the most defenses because of the impending attack. It really felt like she had gone back in time. By the end of the third day, her nerves were so shot with anxiety she could not celebrate the completion of her grand task. No matter how much she told herself it would be different this time, a lingering doubt convinced her that she was doomed to fail again. It made her want to curl up and hide until it was all over, ignore the fact that she had once again taken the responsibility of protecting Ganondorf. What if he would rely on her, just like before, and she could not save him?

In addition to reorganizing the soldiers, he made her practice with him three times a day for an hour to learn how to work together. He practiced to learn to control the euphoric sensations of his strength and power being multiplied.

Even though it was practice, sometimes their matches became more bloody and violent than necessary. Ganondora had to prove herself so each time he struck her, she struck back twice as hard. The fact that she survived every deadly blow was a testament to her own experience.

He forced her back one step at a time with his vicious and wildly accurate swings, no matter how she boosted herself to gain an advantage. Dodging his assault was wearing her down until she finally gave way to his destructive power. She was pinned against the wall and his size, along with his tenacious swings, did not permit an opening to escape.

Ganondorf found it near impossible to put a hand on her while she evaded him. He could sense her speed picking up and despite how hard and fast he pushed, her weapon remained in her hand. The only possible explanation was that she cheated and so she needed to be reminded of her place. He left no opportunities for an attack as he smashed his sword into hers. It took all of her strength to fight him back from slicing through her torso. He pulled back suddenly and she took the opening he created. She lunged forward and spun into a middle attack. He grasped her arm and threw her over his head, back to the stone floor. The impact of the fall was cushioned by her barrier, but he had only done this to gain the opportunity to remove her weapon. He stepped on her sword and slashed downward, forcing her to release her weapon and roll to safety. He fired orbs of dark energy at her quickly and picked up her sword as she dodged them. He continued to assault the disarmed woman and for a small amount of time she was able to block using her bracers. His repeated ruthless attacks quickly wore her down until his sheer force alone pushed her back several feet and against a wall. With each successful attack she bled and her power weakened. Not only did it effect her, but he slowed down as well, realizing the damage he had done to her. She was weak and could have easily been struck down, but he knew that did not mean she was useless. He had pushed himself father and harder than ever before to achieve victory.

"Stop!" She shouted. Her voice wasn't begging, but she was scared that he would kill her. He slammed the point of each weapon into the wall on the sides of her head and they stuck in the cracks of the stone. In anger, he gripped her arm, tore her away from the wall, and shoved her to the floor where he straddled her. His energy sword appeared in his hand and he drove it through her arm and pinned it to the floor. Ganondora shrieked in pain and wriggled under his weight in an attempt to free herself. "Get off of me!" She shouted angrily.

While he held her still he looked in her wild eyes and felt that animal inside again. There was a long way to go before she would be fully under his control. "You cheated!"

She wrapped her hand around his arm that held her down. "You would have done the same to gain an advantage if it was your power," She countered, straining to speak through the pain.

He twisted his blade impaled through her flesh and she gritted her teeth to fight back another scream. Maybe she was right, but she did not need to know that. "You will remember this punishment for the next time you have any bright ideas."

"Yes. Fine," She managed, trying to breathe.

"Yes, what?" He growled.

The sarcasm could not carry through her pain as she added, "My lord."

Ganondorf ripped his weapon out of her arm and it disappeared. He held out hand and she took it to stand. She placed a hand over her shoulder to heal her wound more quickly.

He rotated his shoulders and stretched his arms. "I shall slaughter Link with these new powers," He said and clenched his fist.

"You look like you're ready," She agreed.

He turned from her and said, "I don't need your approval."

"Why are you so stubborn?" She yelled.

"Why are you so persistent?"

"Because I - I need - You wouldn't understand!" She stammered.

Ganondorf stopped and turned around. He looked at her and the expression of hurt on her face. "What nonsense are you blathering about, woman? Remember your place and that you are only here to insure my victory against the Hero of Time." As he spoke, he watched the expression on her face sink even more. He had never seen someone react in such a way to his harsh words.

She understood his meaning, and the hope she had felt in the hole in her chest was shattered. True, she had a good chance of keeping him alive, but anything beyond that seemed impossible as ever. In a voice solemn and quiet, she said, "Yes, my lord."

"Good." He turned from her again and left to get some rest.

Rest did not come for a long time. His thoughts were plagued by the past, by Nabooru. He had been such a fool to trust her with so much. To think he had wanted her to rule his golden land beside him, as a queen! It infuriated him! What was worse was struggling over the same feelings and thoughts for Ganondora. Despite his worry, he knew the answer would come once the battle with Link was won.

Ganondora also took some time to rest in her small servant's quarters. It was nothing like her personal chambers, but she would suffer anything if she could just make him see. This Nabooru had to suffer for what she had done to Ganondorf. No one deserved to live for betraying him. She resolved to prove her loyalty through the battle with Link.


	6. Chapter 6

The anticipation of training that day filled her with dread. In the past two duels he had almost killed her. Ganondora finished attaching the last piece of armor when she heard commotion in the hall. She exited the training room and saw Ganondorf there with Zelda, trapped inside a sphere like he used on her before. All the noise had been the guards rallying to the front of the castle.

"Ganondora!" He shouted, and she ran to catch up to him. Already, she fueled his power and enhanced her own defenses.

"I am here," She said, and they entered a long room at the top of the castle.

"Link is on his way. You will go to the entrance and support my minions while I deal with the princess. Do not allow him to reach this room before I finish," He ordered and pointed to the door.

A concerned look crossed Ganondora's face and her eyes lingered on Zelda, while memories flashed back to her fight in the other dimension. "What are you planning?" She asked.

Ganondorf glared at her. "Your only concern is your mission. Do not waste more time!" He shouted and turned back to Zelda, dropping the sphere that held her prisoner. Before Zelda could run, he snatch her arm and shook her. "Will you willingly give up the Triforce of Wisdom or would you sacrifice your life instead?"

Ganondora returned the glare before heading for the front of the castle. As she left the room she overheard him threaten Zelda. How could she have doubted him? She needed to clear her head or else she would fail again.

Link was already fighting his way through the minions. It was best to conceal herself until the time was right, so she moved to a room off from the main chamber and focused. She felt the life forces of all of the soldiers and enhanced their defense, speed, and strength. She detected Link's life force as well and he was just as strong as she remembered. She drew on his force to feed her strength and spread it back to her forces. His sword, the Master Sword, broke through her powers. Ganondora dug deeper to boost the soldier's defenses by three times. If nothing else, the extra effort it took to strike his foes down would wear him out.

"I will never forfeit this power to you! I will die to protect my kingdom!" Zelda announced defiantly.

Though her words were brave, there was only fear in her eyes. At first, Ganondorf gave her a chance to relent and change her mind. From the palm of her hand she blasted a beam of pure light energy, which he was forced to release her to dodge. She hid behind a pillar. "You are weak from running for so many years, princess," Ganondorf taunted. "Give me that which I desire. I will spare you."

"I will not be your prisoner. I will not be your slave. To sit by and do nothing while you corrupt this beautiful world is worse than death!" She stepped into view and shot another beam of energy at him. He battled it back with a beam of dark energy and with his powers enhanced by Ganondora, there was no match. He pushed Zelda's energy back and the darkness struclher with such force she was thrown into the wall. With his dark sword in hand, he rushed Zelda before she could rise and slashed her right arm through to the bone. Her limb dangled by only flesh and she screamed sweetly.

"Then you leave me no choice!" Ganondorf ran her through the chest with his sword and then slashed outward, spilling her blood. Her body collapsed in pieces and the Triforce of Wisdom collected before him, accepting him as its new owner. He snatched it from midair and absorbed it eagerly. "Finally!" He laughed, admiring it shine on the back of his hand. It was time to join Ganondora and finish this war.

Link did not emerge unscathed. When the last minion of over five hundred fell, he was panting. It would take little effort to kill him in that condition. Luckily for him, the sages had helped dispatch the other half of the King of Evil's army and then rejuvenated Link for the final battle.

Ganondorf stepped onto the balcony above the main floor, as if he had waited for the perfect time to appear. He smirked at Link, as he held a body covered with pink rags over the banister. He tossed the bloody carcass and it hit the floor with a thud. Link gasped and ran forward.

From where Ganondora hid, when Link moved the matted golden hair off of the face, she could see it was Zelda. She was filled with pride and relief.

"You monster!" Link shouted, glaring up at Ganondorf. "She didn't deserve this!"

Ganondorf held up his fist, displaying the Power and Wisdom pieces of the Triforce on the back of his hand for Link to see. He cackled, "Now, boy, I only require the piece of courage which you still hold within you. Hand it over and I will spare you. Only I have the strength to handle the power of the goddesses! It is too much for a weakling like you."

Link spun around at hearing footsteps behind him. Ganondora appeared from her hiding place and stood with her hand on her weapon. "Nabooru?" Link questioned in shock. "Why aren't you with the other sages?"

The thought of playing along crossed her mind, but she was too proud. "My name is Ganondora, and though I may resemble the Spirit Sage I am not like her. I will kill you myself if you do not comply with the King of Evil's request," She threatened and unsheathed her sword in anticipation of his refusal. There was so much power flowing through her and Ganondorf combined that an aura of purple appeared around them.

"If you are with him then you are an enemy," Link said, brandishing the Master Sword.

The sight of the blade made Ganondora's skin crawl. It was impossible to describe the pain a person of dark power felt when cut by it. They ran at each other, her with miraculous speed, and their weapons met with an explosion of light. Ganondorf fired off orbs of energy, forcing Link to break off and dodge. She pursued him as he continued to run from the aerial attacks. Finally, Link was hit and knocked down so she struck at him as well. Suddenly, his shield was in the way and her sword met it with an awful clang. The moment it collided she jumped out of the way of any retaliation.

The shield had served another purpose. When he stood up he had his bow in his hands and had the string back. An arrow made of pure energy was ready to fly at Ganondorf, but he had been prepared. With his enhanced speed, he easily moved out of the way to safety behind a rock pillar. The light was blinding, but he remained unharmed.

Ganondora was on Link again with a flurry of vicious attacks, forcing him back steps at a time. Her strength was almost more than he could handle, but his courage, and the Triforce, helped him stand his ground. Ganondora remained within her realm of comfort to avoid being worn down too quickly, but Link was still able to find openings to try to hit Ganondorf with arrows of light. Each time she managed to thwart his attempts and he grew increasingly frustrated.

Link focused his attack on her. As Ganondora began to lose ground she built her energy back up from the depths of her power and fought back even stronger. His skill was good enough to avoid her attacks until she landed in close to him and swung. He jumped back but not quick enough to avoid the slice across his side. He landed with a grunt as the dark energy burned through his veins but, he only bled slightly. Just like with the Master Sword, any wound inflicted with dark energy hurt tenfold.

The hero was down on one knee, but Ganondora knew there was no time to catch her breath. She ran at him and swung to strike again, but he rolled out of the way and came up swinging. He threw down his shield in the center of the room and equipped his bow in his free hand. This strategy allowed him to aim more easily when there was an opening, but not at Ganondorf, at her. Link knew she was the source of the dark energy and the light arrows would be just as effective.

Ganondora was on the defensive suddenly, dodging and ducking miraculously out of the way of arrows. As the light drew near, it stung, but only until it passed by her entirely. She grew angry, which only intensified her powers, causing the aura around her to grow larger. Her power as at the highest it had ever been, but so was her determination. Link ran at her and she quickly turned the tables so she was on the offensive again. Her sword came swiftly, successfully making contact with his chest and arms, until he fell.

Ganondorf felt his victory was within reach. Her powers were greater than he had seen during their practices and Link was pitiful against them. He cried with everyone wound. She kicked him in the stomach and sliced him across his shoulder. The hero was on his knees, yet he struggled to continue the fight, when suddenly an orange light appeared from the door way. It was a thin flat beam and it struck Ganondora steadily. She pushed back against it and turned to see who interrupted her victory. That person, was herself.

Whatever power Nabooru used against her did not burn like light energy. Instead, it felt like her energy was being sucked dry. Ganondora walked backward to move out of the range of the beam, but it was futile. The enhancement to her fighting abilities slowly decreased and whatever was left she sacrificed to keep Ganondorf stronger.

"Nabooru!" Ganondorf shouted. He immediately jumped down to the first floor.

"I got here as fast as I could, Link! Hurry and use the light arrows against her!" Nabooru shouted, before a black orb of dark energy struck her and sent her flying against a far wall. The woman struggled to get back to her feet but Ganondorf rush her and had her in his grasp.

"I will not allow you to cost me this victory!" His sword of dark energy appeared in his hand and he spared no time in gloating as he ran it through her. At the same time, he heard a scream, her same scream, from behind him.

Ganondora's powers began to return, but not enough before Link used an arrow of light on her. It passed through her arm and she dropped to her knees. She shouted with pain that felt like a white hot poker scalded her soul. Link quickly approached her and said, "I will spare you if you help me defeat Ganondorf."

Through gritted teeth, Ganondora replied, "I would rather die with my loyalty and pride intact, hero." She tried to get to her feet while swinging clumsily at him. Link avoided her attacks and impaled her stomach with the Master Sword. The agony was double that of the light arrow. Despite how she fought it, the only relief was to scream out in horrific pain. She stumbled back and leaned against the wall. Link yanked his sword free from her, and she slumped down, holding her hand over her bleeding wound. The sword had drained her entirely. The pain was still so intense she just wanted to pass out until it was gone, but that was not an option. She smirked as Ganondorf came up behind Link and nearly struck him down by surprise.

Ganondorf was in shock at first. Part of him sympathized with the immense pain that his companion experienced. She had done all she could and now it was his turn. He needed to do it without her help. As he turned though, he did not feel completely without assistance. What little energy remained, the bit of darkness still inside, she sacrificed to boost his abilities.

The excitement of the fight was enough to help Ganondora keep her eyes open. All energy she might have been able to use to heal herself was exhausted in helping Ganondorf. Link was already warn out, but if Nabooru was not dead then he could come back. She watched as his wounds were slowly closing up. While he and Ganondorf were distracted, she struggled to her knees and then to her feet. Each step caused a glop of blood to burst from her wound. The distance was longer than she realized. She winced against the pain, but each step became easier as the pain from the Master Sword wore off. The only fear she had was losing too much blood to recover. As she neared, Nabooru began to stir and rolled onto her stomach. Ganondora made one last long step and drove her knee into Nabooru's spine and her sword came around her neck.

Nabooru cried out and dizziness overwhelmed her from hitting her head. A sword came across her throat as her own voice spoke to her. She had seen the woman from the sacred realm and despised her for everything she had done.

"This is for betraying the man who did everything for you, who deserved better than you could have ever given him, and so that I may earn my rightful place at his side!" Ganondora held Nabooru by her hair and sawed the blade through flesh and bone, until the head came free from the neck.

Ganondorf, still with an advantage over Link, had thrown him against the wall from the second floor. He delighted in seeing Link painfully fall the twenty feet to the ground. He had not noticed Ganondora move from her spot, and suddenly only a blood stain remained where she had been lying. She threw something from where she now stood and it hit Link. It rolled, and when Ganondorf realized what it was he laughed maniacally.

Link was dizzy as the object rolled toward him. Once his vision cleared and he realized it had hair, he was shocked back to his senses. He stood and quickly stepped backward from it. He looked to where Ganondora had been and she was not there. Instead, she was standing beside the headless body of Nabooru. The evil woman was slowly sinking to her knees again while laughing. "I told you. I told you I would kill her." For a minute, while Link recovered from shock, she took some of her power back to heal her wound so that it could stop bleeding. Her show had created the brief opening she needed to take some energy without putting Ganondorf in danger. It was unexpectedly difficult to heal up since the wound had been caused by the Master Sword, but it stopped bleeding nonetheless. She was back on her feet, and returned her full focus to enhancing Ganondorf.

From the second floor he blasted large orbs of energy at Link, like the ones he had used on Nabooru. "Fight me, fool!" He yelled. Link was on the defense again, flinging the orbs back at Ganondorf with his sword. Ganondorf decreased the distance between them by falling to his feet on the first floor and continuing to walk toward Link at a slow pace. It was impossible for the King of Evil to be hit, or miss returning the orbs, while Ganondora's powers flowed through him.

Link lunged for his shield coated in a thick mirror. He turned back around before he could be hit by the next orb of energy and absorbed it into the mirror instead. Then, he lured Ganondorf in by continuing to absorb the energy. Each miss infuriated him. Once he was close enough, Link unleashed the energy the mirror had absorbed and used it against his enemy. Expecting retaliation, the hero ran out of the way. Ganondorf had been caught off guard and was momentarily stunned by the amount of dark magic that assaulted him. Link took the opportunity to pull out his bow again.

Ganondora had seen it happen before it actually did. Possibly some strange delirium set on by blood loss and exhaustion. Or, she had seen this trick before. Immediately, she moved into action. As Link was pulling out his bow, she ignored the pain and ran directly in front of the hero. The arrow released and struck Ganondora in the chest. The momentum of her run caused her to fall to the ground and slide. As she fell, Link followed through his attack with a strike from the Master Sword. It slashed deeply into her waist, but was intended to be deeper. The fact that she had been in motion saved her life. Before Link could strike again, he was smashed against the wall by a wave of powerful dark energy. He quickly recovered and rushed at Ganondorf again. When they met, the large man took hold of the hero with his hands and sent him flying toward the farthest wall, with a black orb of energy to follow up. When Link smacked the wall, he was also pummeled with the orb, and fell to the ground limp.

Ganondorf rushed to his companion. Ganondora's whole body was wrought by seizures. This was wrong. It was all going very wrong. She had proven her loyalty beyond a doubt by destroying the traitor so grotesquely. The last thing he expected, especially from her, was to sacrifice her life for him. He had never asked her to die for him. Or had he? Fear froze him momentarily. He shook her, and as a result her eyes opened, but they were far from focused. He gripped her face under the chin with his hand. "You are important now more than ever. I can finish this but I need you." Then, he twisted the knife with his words an added, "Do not fail me again!"

Feeling her king's dark energy close to her rejuvenated her enough to see clearly. His face was near, and she did not resist putting her hands on his head. His hair and skin were soft, the way she remembered, but warmer compared to the last time she had touched him. "I told you I wouldn't." She said, slurring. Obviously, she was damaged, but as long as she focused long enough for him to finish Link, he would help her heal. He was gentle about laying her on the stone floor again.

Ganondorf felt his speed increase as he stood and faced Link. They glared at each other with more than hate or loathing. They wanted the other to die for what they had done. Link was fueled by courage and the need to make the evil man repent for his crimes, for Nabooru's death, and most of all for murdering Zelda. Ganondorf craved revenge for turning his once future queen against him and nearly killing his new one, for making him wait so long for this moment, for denying him the power that was rightfully his. Link was the cause of so many problems, it was only right that he should die for them.

Ganondorf was the first to attack. He ran at Link, appearing weaponless until the last second. When he judged where the hero would attack, the dark energy sword appeared in his hand and he struck him across the arm. The blades clashed together, the sound ringing through the empty room. There were no pauses between attacks. As soon as Ganondorf was wounded he began to heal.

It was impossible to tell who was striking who but the blood was flowing. Ganondora watched with dreadful anticipation. There was very little she could do in her state, except for die. As she watched she prepared herself to do just that if it came to it. The light was receding from her body, making it easier to move and focus. Willing herself through the pain by thoughts of failure, she rolled onto her front and onto her knees. Her hand covered her wound, but the blood was thick and heavy. She spared none of her own power to heal herself, as she knew Ganondorf needed it. He was right. She should have died for him before.

Ganondorf impaled Link through his right shoulder, and Link used his left hand to strike his foe again. They were severely weakened as the power of light spread through Ganondorf, and the darkness corrupted Link. The King of Evil could feel a force within him fight it back. He ripped his weapon through Link's chest and was sprayed by the hero's blood. Ganondorf savored the moment just before his foe fell in a lump on the floor.

For safety measures, Ganondorf kicked the Master Sword toward the castle entrance, far away from Link. He was only satisfied once he severed the head from the body. He looked at himself, expecting to be bleeding everywhere, but he realized all of his wounds were either healed or still slowly healing. It was a good sign that she was still alive. There was one more thing he needed to do, or it would all be for nothing.


	7. Chapter 7

Specks of gold dust floated from Link's body and collected into the form of the Triforce of Courage. The two pieces Ganondorf possessed also appeared in front of him, completing the Triforce. Sinister excitement swelled inside him and he immediately reached out to touch it.

The Triforce pulsed with a magnificent golden light. "What is your wish?" The voices of the three goddesses asked in unison.

Ganondorf was nearly giddy. After a lifetime of waiting it was finally happening. It was so much like the dream he dreamt a thousand times that it did not seem real and he was afraid he would suddenly wake up. "I wish for ultimate power, so much that I can control life and death! Everyone shall fear Ganondorf Dragmire, the King of Evil!"

There was hesitation, but the goddesses' voice came frome the Triforce once again. "It is done."

He might not have known it, but Ganondora was proudly watching. If he had wished for anything less it would have all been for nothing. Now that he had his wish, now that she had redeemed herself, she could sleep, and so she did.

The Triforce dissolved and returned to him. With it came an overwhelming nausea and even pain. He gasped for air and fell to his knees. Was it killing him? What was that sensation? He felt the changes inside, the growth of his power and he gritted his teeth against the blinding pain in his head that came with it. After a few minutes that felt like an hour, the pain died away. He slowly returned to his feet. It was impossible to deny that he was more powerful, but there was something else. He could sense all beings, living or dead. He was aware of the recently extinguished life forces in the surrounding area. He could feel how dim Ganondora's life force was. He rushed to her.

He lifted her torso in his arms, and, upon inspection, found she had tried to heal her life threatening wound but must have run out of energy before she could finish. Her face was relaxed and peaceful, not yet void of any color. Her hair was more disheveled than he had ever seen it. He swept some of it from concealing her face. Ironically, he thought, she was finally tame.

Ganondorf felt like a fool more than ever.

With the power bestowed upon him, he restored her life force. He realized that not only could he see it, he could feel it, and he could feel the corrupt and wild nature of her. Her force was different from Nabooru's but the same as his. He lifted Ganondora in his arms and carried her to his chambers.

When her dreams became more lucid Ganondora desperately wished she could wake. The scene of Link and Ganondorf battling replayed in her head over and over. They were in the castle, and Zelda had her pinned down with a beam of light. Ganondora was powerless against it. Eventually, the pain she felt subsided and she felt nothing. She could actually fight against it. She was always too late though. No matter how she tried, Link was always the victor.

Then, she opened her eyes. She could see, but was she really seeing? She closed her eyes again. The voice of her attendant was screaming something, but she was too far away to make out any words. Was she really hearing? She closed her eyes. All of her muscles, even the ones she did not know she had, were sore. With her sense of touch returning, she recognized a bandage binding her waist. She could not be sure if the last memory she recalled was real or not, so she was anxious. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes again to find she was inside her room. With that realization, sorrow consumed her.

Determined to know the truth, she sat up on the side of the bed. Nausea immediately overcame her. Dry saliva filled her mouth and she closed her eyes to stop the room from spinning. She fought against it. Erika came to her side suddenly and cautioned her, "You should not get up yet."

"You must tell me what is going on," Ganondora demanded, almost heaving. She dropped Erika's arm and expected the worst.

"I insisted on you coming here to rest. You have been out for days. You need to relax," Erika insisted, trying to push her back down.

Ganondora resisted with all her might and stood up. "I failed again, didn't I? Didn't I?!" She shouted angrily, growing dizzy and faint. "I killed her. I decapitated her. I did everything I could to prove myself but in the end I lost him." Her stomach turned and her knees quivered, but none of it mattered. Without him, not even she mattered. In a somber tone, she added, "I never got to tell him."

"You will never learn your lesson," Said a critical voice from the doorway.

She spun too quickly to face the voice. Her breath caught in her chest. Seeing Ganondorf made the last bits of the puzzle fall into place. She remembered Link falling, the Triforce of Courage surrendering itself, and his evil wish being granted. Suddenly, she dropped and sat on the bed with her eyes glued to Ganondorf's face.

He was relieved beyond words to see her awake again. Even though he had undoubtedly saved her that day, she had been out for a long time. It had worried him that some permanent damage had been done to her life force by the powers of light. "Leave us," He ordered Erika, and the woman immediately did so. Ganondorf approached the bed and to cover up his own concern, he said, "She never left your side. You have a faithful servant, and so do I."

Ganondora looked up at him, thankful for the praise. Nothing could replace her satisfaction at knowing she made the difference between life and death in his battle. "There is nothing that makes me happier, my lord." His hand hovered at his side, right in front of her face, tempting her to take it. He had already made it clear where her place was though. Just like before, she would need to be happy with that. The energy that radiated from him was exponentially greater than the last time they had been close. It was somehow comforting and she felt safe.

"Tell me what it is you have been hiding from me," Ganondorf ordered. "You know I am not a patient man."

"I fear that if I do our situation may change. I do not want things to be different between us, now that I have you back. I'm happy," She said.

"Lies do not please me. Anything less than honesty will change what you have for the worse," He explained with a threat in his tone.

Ganondora sighed. He had always known her so well, why would this one be any different? "in my time of serving Ganondorf, I always imagined we could be more. We worked so well together. His was the only personality that quelled my hostile and stubborn nature. I not only believed I could make amends for my failure with you, but that I could make the relationship I always fantasized into reality." Not until she was finished did she look up at him to judge his reaction. The way he looked at her was haunting and his expression was difficult to read.

Ganondorf looked to make sure the door was closed and found there was no life forces left in the tower. He knelt before her and placed a hand on her face. Kneeling only made him a hair shorter than her sitting form. "You have more than made amends. You have more than proven yourself worthy. You assassinated the traitor as you promised and made my dream possible. Your relationship is reality," He said sincerely.

She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him. "Thank you," She whispered, tears coming to her eyes even as she restrained them. He put his arms around her slender body in return and realized that her happiness actually pleased him. While still in her embrace he slowly turned her and lowered her to the bed.

"The moment you are well and able to leave this bed I want your belongings moved to my castle," He proclaimed, sitting beside her. "It will be easier to show off my queen once she is living in my castle."

Ganondora held his hand gently. She treasured every detail of that moment as she slowly closed her eyes and drifted away again. He swept her hair from her face, stroked his fingers down the length of her smooth arm, and watched her fall asleep. Her dreams were not of her terrible past but of a beautiful future beside the King of Evil.


End file.
